Chapter 29 - THE LETTER GIOVANNI LEFT FOR LILYThe first envelope said:
FOR LILY. AGE SIX.
Nora cried before opening it.
Lorenzo pretended not to.
Giovanni had prepared twelve letters.
One for every birthday through eighteen.
Because handwriting was difficult, he had dictated them through his communication device months earlier.
Lily sat cross-legged on the rug.
“Read it.”
Nora unfolded the page.
“Dear Lily.”
Lily smiled.
“That’s me.”
“Yes.”
Nora continued.
“When you were born, you were very small.”
“I know.”
“Your mother was terrified.”
Lily looked at Nora.
“You were?”
“Very.”
The letter continued.
“Your mother thought I gave her a family because she cared for me.”
Nora stopped.
Lorenzo looked away.
“She was wrong.”
Lily waited.
“She gave me one.”
Nora's voice broke.
The letter described room 4B.
Cold food.
Closed curtains.
A young pregnant maid who kept talking to a man everyone believed could not understand.
Then Giovanni wrote:
“One day people may tell you your family was powerful.”
“Do not believe them too quickly.”
Lorenzo exhaled.
“Power is not having people obey you.”
“It is not money.”
“It is not fear.”
“It is what you do when someone weaker than you cannot repay you.”
Lily frowned.
“What does repay mean?”
“Give something back.”
“Oh.”
Nora continued.
“Your mother was kind to me when she believed I could give her nothing.”
“That is the richest thing anyone ever gave me.”
Lily became quiet.
At the bottom was one final sentence.
“And if Lorenzo becomes too serious, annoy him.”
Lily burst out laughing.
“I already do!”
Lorenzo looked betrayed.
“Of course he put that in writing.”
Nora folded the letter.
Then something fell from the envelope.
A tiny brass key.
Lorenzo frowned.
“What is that?”
Attached was a note.
ROOM 4B. FLOORBOARD UNDER WINDOW.
Nora stared.
“Giovanni.”
Lorenzo sighed.
“Apparently death has not stopped him from creating problems.”
They went upstairs.
Under the floorboard was no money.
No gun.
No ledger.
Just a final envelope.
For Nora and Lorenzo.
May you like
Inside were three words.
OPEN THE ROOM.
